On this farm that so loves animals (two
dogs, five sheep, two donkeys…an occasional guest cat…chickens soon…) we
yesterday had the good and unexpected news of the arrival of a new foal! We’re
posting here the first pictures of the little one (any suggestions for names?),
who, less than a day old, is already up on its feet and suckling.

sábado, 10 de maio de 2014

She lived in
Malawi a while ago, and when she would travel by car and meet donkeys on the
road, she would look longingly at them, as they baked stoically in the East
African sun.

On her bookshelves,
amongst her many volumes, one can find The Wisdom of Donkeys, by Andy
Merrifield, and on a coffee table a book of pictures of donkeys, a photography
project by Oliviero Toscani. To top all this off, on her bedside table she has
a stuffed toy donkey, a reminder of a live one I adopted for her as a Christmas
present one year.

So, last weekend
we went to the animal fair in Lamego, and she just bought one. Well, in fact,
she bought two: a mother and a two-month old female foal. The mother has been
named Cinza, the daughter Nubia, perhaps.

“Recent Douro project (2005 was the first year) under the guidance
of Francisco Montenegro. Terrus 2006 was one of the surprises I encountered
last year. A very elegant Douro, overall very beautiful, very balanced, something
that I have not found easily in the wines I have tried. I tried the 2007
recently, and its profile is the same, although I found it slightly “hotter”,
which is certainly because of its harvest year. Apart from that, the elegance
and the fineness are there.

This is the second harvest I try, but, considering what I already
know, it seems this is one of the Douro wines with which I most identify
myself. The price is about 15 Euros."

An excellent red from the Douro, with fruit that stands out in the ensemble, and is well combined with the wood in which it aged. In this wine one can feel the power of the Douro, but with elegance, in a complex and sophisticated body.

For its aromatic intensity and its opulent taste, this seems more like a Douro wine from the northern bank of the river, than one from the parish that delineates the region’s western boundary. Coming from granitic soils and old vines, this is a red wine with character, with hints of raspberry that blend well with the notes of the barrel and the bottle. The taste is marked by a good tannic structure at a good stage of softness and a finish with class. This is a wine that fills the senses, good for accompanying dishes of intense flavour, and excellent to leave a few bottles in the cellar, where it will undoubtedly enhance its qualities.

About / Sobre

Terrus is a red wine from the Douro region in Portugal. It is produced by Maria da Assunção Foy who inherited 10 hectares of land in 2000 and set about creating a successfully functioning vineyard and winery. The first year of production was 2005, so it is a relatively young wine but already it has been garnering positive praise.

Given the small size of the vineyard, production is restricted to no more than 4000 bottles a year, but this also means that great care is given to the smallest details, from planting to bottling. This is not just a small business but also a labour or love.

The Terrus enologist is award-winning Francisco Montenegro.

We welcome visitors to the vineyard, either on day visits or longer stays as we have two small houses to rent out for short breaks.